


Mucky Boots

by mandaree1



Category: Hilda (Cartoon)
Genre: David being a good pal, Fluff, Hilda hating to admit she's afraid, Mud
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-08-07 00:03:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16397606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mandaree1/pseuds/mandaree1
Summary: "Are you alright?" Hilda asks. "This was your first swamp adventure.""Are you?" David asks in return, sounding very matter-of-fact as he does so. "You're the one who almost got hurt."She shuddered to think of sharp teeth coming treacherously close to her face. Hilda has faced many dangers over the years, but giant snapping turtles are a new one. "Aww, I'm fine. I'm an adventurer."





	Mucky Boots

Hilda's always hated her feet. It's an odd fixation to have, she knows, but they're cracked and they're crumpled and covered in various scars from running through thorns and falling off stuff barefoot. She liked her boots- they were sturdy, and strong, and they looked better than tiny, pale feet with no real purpose other than to look tiny and pale.

But today her boots are covered in mud, making a semi-familiar  _shlip-shlip-shlip_  noise as she ascends the stairs, so Hilda does the polite thing and takes them off at the door. Frida and David follow suit without prompting.

"You want to shower first?" Hilda asked wearily.

"It's your house," Frida points out, but she looks very tempted. Her usually neat hair has fallen to shambles, tinged with bog gunk at the very edges. Her Sparrow Scout uniform hadn't fared much better.

"Take it," she urged. "Mum's used to me coming home all messy. I doubt your parents are. You too, David."

"I can wait." David was running his fingers through his muddy hair. "You see any bugs on me? I've already found a couple of mosquitoes."

"It's hard to see much of anything, the state we're all in." Frida sighs. "Alright, fine. I'll go first."

While Frida sets about getting into the shower, Hilda does damage control, mopping up the mud they've left on the floor. She grabs some spare towels and drapes them on the couch so she and David can both sit as they wait. Alfur, blissfully spotless, waves a quick hello before disappearing off to- well, she's not sure what kind of paperwork he's off doing, but she's sure it's something long and unnecessarily complicated, so at least he's having fun.

"Are you alright?" Hilda asks. "This was your first swamp adventure."

"Are you?" David asks in return, sounding very matter-of-fact as he does so. "You're the one who almost got hurt."

She shuddered to think of sharp teeth coming treacherously close to her face. Hilda has faced many dangers over the years, but giant snapping turtles are a new one. "Aww, I'm fine. I'm an adventurer."

"But that was quite traumatizing, right?" he stressed. "It's not just me?"

"Oh, no, very." Hilda patted his arm.

"Is your hand shaking?"

"Hmm?" She studied her fingers. "Yes, I believe so."

"You're not okay, are you?"

Hilda shrugged. "I'm fine. S'really nothing to worry about."

David tilted his head a little, like he was a confused cat. "You do know it's okay to be afraid, don't you?"

"I used to be scared a lot. I was so tiny, and things in the wilderness can get so big." She pulled her knees to her chest, studying the pale tops of her feet. "But I hated it. I didn't want to be afraid of everything. So I promised myself I wouldn't be ever again."

"Some things aren't everything."

"I guess not."

"I'm scared most of the time. I was before I met you, and I still am now." He clenched and unclenched his fingers. "I think I might be a bit braver for having known you, though. Maybe I can help you back- remind you it's alright."

Hilda sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder with a gross noise. She sniffled a little. "Thanks, David. You're a good friend."

"Thanks," David said, smiling just a little. "I hate to be a snob, but maybe we can wait to do this for when we're clean? And Frida's back?"

She pulled back with a hiccuping chuckle. "Absolutely."

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write some fluff, so here I am. 
> 
> -Mandaree1


End file.
